Howard County’s Design Advisory Panel (DAP) requires review of projects in certain fast-developing areas. One such area is the Route 1 corridor where the Potter’s Place townhouses are planned on a relatively-small lot between the more-commercial developments directly on the highway and the existing neighborhoods in the surrounding area.
Drawings were collected from the engineer and architect as well as Google Earth and compared to on-site photographs. Where discrepancies arose, such as with the sidewalks, preferred locations were coordinated with the engineers. In the end, additional sidewalk and a stick of townhouses was added to the existing adjacent property to match the current conditions shown in the site photos. Crosswalk locations,paving materials, and roof geometry and color were coordinated as well.
In addition to the basic rendered site plan, from which several “slides” were produced for the final presentation, a few mostly-unique renderings are needed. Text-based slides, such as a description of the existing conditions or design philosophy, can be placed over backgrounds which help orient the viewer to the topic being discussed. Other slides, such as the Vicinity Map, show the rendered site plan in a larger context with nearby transportation arteries and nodes. Blue Stream development, another project by the same owner, has its rendered plan shown on the Vicinity map as well.
In total, eighteen slides were produced, though some of these were just transitional. And, while no presentation could ensure that all possible questions will be answered, the format gives a thorough understanding of the project’s existing conditions and proposed improvements, enough to facilitate a well-informed discussion.
